Method of emptying drainage bags and apparatus for carrying out the method

ABSTRACT

DRAINAGE BAGS CONTAINING BODY FLUIDS ARE COLLECTED AND EACH PLACED IN A COMPARTMENT IN A BAG COLLECTING BASKET. THE BASKET IS THEN PLACED IN A TREATMENT CHAMBER. THE BAGS HAVE THEIR BOTTOM PORTIONS PUNCTURED AS A RESULT OF CLOSING THE COVER OF THE CHAMBER EITHER BY KNIVES IN THE CHAMBER OR CLIPPERS CARRIED BY THE BASKET SO THAT DRAINAGE OF THE BAGS AND DISCHARGE OF THE FLUIDS FROM THE CHAMBER OCCURS. CLOSURE OF THE COVER ALSO INITIATES A RINSING AND DISINFECTING CYCLE SO THAT CLEAN AND DISINFECTED BAGS CAN BE REMOVED FROM THE CHAMBER.

M y 1974 LARS-AKE o THORSSON ETAL 0 METHOD OF EUPTYING DRAINAGE BAGS AND APPARATUS FOR CARRYING OUT THE KETHOD 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 6, 1972 Fig. l

l L J LARS-AKE O THORSSON ETAL METHOD OF EMPTYING DRAINAGE BAGS AND APPARATUS FOR CARRYING OUT THE METHOD 6 Sheets-Sheet I 2 m F. 2 7 9 l M e h w m m 7 d I hflm w m M F y 7, 1974 LARs-AKE o. THORSSON ET AL 3,309,577

METHOD OF EHPTYING DRAINAGE BAGS AND APPARATUS FOR CARRYING OUT THE METHOD Filed March 6, 1972 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig.3

May 1974 LARs-AKE o. THORSSON ETAL 3,309,577

METHOD OF EHPTYING DRAINAGE'BAGS AND APPARATUS FOR CARRYING OUT THE METHOD Filed March 6, 1972 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 M y 1974 LARS'AKE o. THORSSON ETA!- 3,309,577

METHOD OF EHPTYING DRAINAGE BAGS AND APPARATUS FOR CARRYING OUT THE IETHOD 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed larch e, 1972 e Sheets-Sheet e FOR CARRYING OUT THE IETHOD LARSAKE O. THORSSON ET L METHOD OF EMPTYING DRAINAGE BAGS AND APPARATUS May 7, 1974 Filed March 6, 1972 "'(IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII "'1',"

United States Patent US. Cl. 134-42 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Drainage bags containing body fluids are collected and each placed in a compartment in a bag collecting basket. The basket is then placed in a treatment chamber. The bags have their bottom portions punctured as a result of closing the cover of the chamber either by knives in the chamber or clippers carried by the basket so that drainage of the bags and discharge of the fluids from the chamber occurs. Closure of the cover also initiates a rinsing and disinfecting cycle so that clean and disinfected bags can be removed from the chamber.

The present invention. relates to a method of puncturing, emptying and disinfecting body fluid containing drainage bags in a hygienic and expedient manner.

With present-day methods of handling drainage bags containing body fluid, as applied in hospitals, for example, the quantity of fluid in the bags-which are preferably made of a plastics material-is measured and the bags placed into an inset intended therefor in a pail which is placed on a trolley located in the corridor of the ward in question.

Upon completion of the ward round, the trolley is moved with the pail to a utility room, where the bags are emptied of their contents, by clipping one corner of the bags and allowing the liquid to run out into an empting sink or basin. The empty bag is then packed into a paper or plastic bag and placed in a rubbish bin provided with a fitted lid.

Packaging of the drainage bags into clean paper or plastic bags is necessary, owing to the fact that it is impossible to completely empty the drainage bags or to rinse the same. Further, packaging of the bags is desirable from the aspect of hygiene and to prevent the occurrence of obnoxious odors.

Such methods, however, are time consuming and do not satisfy the requirements of hygiene in present day hospitals. Further, the work entailed is particularly dirty and unpleasant and gives rise to discomforting odors, since the bags must be emptied and packeted by hand.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate the disadvantages encountered with the present day methods and to provide an effective method for collecting, puncturing, emptying and disinfecting body fluid drainage bags in hospitals or similar establishments where similar tasks are carried out.

When proceeding in accordance with the invention, the filled drainage bags are collected in a collecting basket provided with bag holders and located on a trolley in the corridor of the ward.

Upon completion of the ward round, the trolley with the collecting basket is moved to a utility room, where the basket is placed in a flush or rinsing basin, such as a bed-pan flusher, provided with a closable lid and, accord ing to one aspect of the invention, with a special device for puncturing the drainage bags, whereafter the lid of the basin is closed.

3,809,577 Patented May 7, 1974 ice Puncturing and emptying of the drainage bags and the rinsing and disinfecting thereof together with the collecting basket is initiated by closing the lid of the basin. The puncturing device may be located in a manner such that the basin lid causes the collecting basket to be forced down against puncturing knives located in the puncturing device. The drainage bags, which are firmly held in the bottom of the collecting basket, are thus pressed against the knives and consequently punctured thereby.

Subsequent to rinsing and disinfecting the bags, the clean and disinfected bags are thrown directly from the collecting basket into a rubbish bag, without it being necessary to package the bags.

Thus, the method of the present invention completely eliminates the manual handling of the bags when emptying the same. Further, the bags are emptied in a closed space which is disinfected subsequent to emptying the bags, this affords an important advantage with respect to hygiene and comfort.

In accordance with the present invention, the collecting basket can be provided with a graduated scale, by means of which the volume of liquid in the bag can be read off when the bag is placed in the basket.

The volume of liquid in the bags can be read off with far greater accuracy by means of the method according to the invention than with present-day methods having the bag freely suspended so that the elasticity of the bag has a deleterious effect on the accuracy of the reading of the volume of liquid contained therein. Owing to the fact that the volume of liquid in the bag can be determined more exactly than with present-day methods the use of a twenty-four hours measuring device becomes superflous.

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 illustrates a collecting basket provided with compartments for receiving the drainage bags and with bag holder means,

FIG. 2 illustrates the bag holder means provided with springs and attached to a shaft,

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a rinsing basin provided with knife holders and knives,

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the rinsing basin showing the drainage bags punctured and emptied,

FIG. 5 illustrates a further embodiment of the invention and shows a collecting basket with bag compartments and a stirrup structure with puncturing scissors in open position prior to puncturing the drainage bags, and

FIG. 6 illustrates the mode of operation of the puncturing scissors illustrated in FIG. 5 when puncturing the drainage bags.

With the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. l-4, the drainage bags are punctured by means of knives located in the rinsing basin. FIGS. 1-4 show a collecting basket 1 provided with a number of compartments 2, each of which accommodates a drainage bag 3 secured by a bag holder 4 which is attached to a shaft 5.

The bag holders 4 can be adjusted between positions I and II. The position to which the bag holder is adjusted is determined by the quantity of liquid in respective bags. The bags are locked by means of an arm 6, which applies a locking force to the bag holder 4 via the shaft 5 and a torsion spring 7.

With the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 the bags to be emptied and disinfected are placed in their respective compartments 2, whereafter they are clamped in position with the bag holders 4 by moving the arm 6 downwards.

The collecting basket is then conveyed to a known type of rinsing basin 8 having a lid 9. The actual bowl or sink portion 10 of the basin 8 is provided with a set of knife holders 11 in which are arranged knives 12, the

number of said knives coinciding with the number of compartments in the collecting basket.

The knife holder 11 is attached to a structure 13 arranged to normally support a grid-like support structure normally located in the rinsing basin. This grid structure is removed when the knife holder is mounted in the basin and is therefore not illustrated in the drawing.

The drainage bags are emptied in following manner:

The collecting basket 1 is placed in the rinsing basin 8, whereafter the lid 9 is closed. As the lid 9 is closed it bears against the handle 14 of the basket, or special distance means mounted thereon, forcing the basket down and the bags to be pressed against the knives 12 in the knife holder 11. The distance between the undersurface of the lid 9 and the handle of the basket is adjusted so that the lid is'located 20-30 mm. from the closed position when the drainage bags engage the points of the knives. When the lid is closed, the drainage bags are punctured and the rinsing mechanism of the basin started, whereafter the programme cycle is effected in the known manner. The bags are rinsed and disinfected during this known cycle.

In order to prevent the bags from being punctured before the lid 9 is closed, a spring means 15 is arranged to hold up the basket 1 and to be compressed when the lid is closed.

Upon completion of the rinsing and disinfecting cycle, the basket is removed from the basin and the clean and disinfected bags are thrown directly into a rubbish bag or some other suitable collecting means.

Although puncturing of the bags by means of knives located within the actual rinsing basin is an expedient method of emptying the bags, the 'bags can, in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, be clipped instead of being punctured by knives. Clipping of the bags affords a more reliable and superior method of opening the bags than puncturing with knives. Further, by arranging the bag cutting means in the actual collecting basket the added advantage is afforded whereby no auxiliary means are required in the rinsing basin. Moreover, with such an arrangement it is not necessary to clamp the bags in the collecting basket, since the bags are not subjected to pressure from beneath.

Accordingly, FIGS. and 6 illustrate an embodiment with which the bags are punctured by means of scissors arranged within the collecting basket. The embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 comprises a collecting basket 1 divided into a number of compartments 2, each of which receives a drainage bag 3.

Located at the bottom of the collecting basket 1 are scissor-like devices 17 for puncturing the bags 3. The scissor-like devices 17 are mounted in holders 18 and a stirrup 21. The stirrup 21 is guided in guides 22 arranged on the basket 1 and is able to move vertically relative to the basket.

The scissor-like devices 17 comprise a special clipping portion for each compartment, said clipping portion comprising two cutting members 19 arranged to move towards and away from each other and being movably mounted in the holder 18 and actuated by a link arm 16 by the stirrup 21 via a shaft 23. The scissor device is returned to its open position by means of a spring 24.

When using the embodiment illustrated in FIGS 5 and 6, the drainage bags are emptied in the following manner:

The collecting basket 1 with the stirrup 21 is placed in the rinsing basin 8, suspended from attachments 20 located on the edge of the actual bowl portion 10. The lid 9 of the basin is closed and presses down the stirrup 21 towards the bottom of the basin. In this Way the distance between the bottom of the collecting basket 1 and the lower portion of the stirrup 21 is increased, which causes the link arms 16 to transmit the rectilinear movement of the stirrup 21, to cause rotation of the cutting members 19 around the shaft 23. When the cutting members 19 are rotated they bear against the drainage bags 3 to puncture and empty the same.

When the lid 9 of the rinsing basin is opened, the spring 24 returns the cutting members 19 to their open position.

Although the invention has been described with reference to rinsing basins, it is not restricted solely to the use thereof, but can be used together with any rinsing device in which puncturing, emptying and disinfecting of drainage bags can be effected in a closed space.

We claim:

1. A method for emptying and disinfecting liquid filled drainage bags which comprises:

introducing the bags into a closable treatment chamber provided with an outlet, a lid and a puncturing means,

puncturing the bags at their bottom portions by said puncturing means during closing of said lid and subsequent to the draining of the content of the punctured bags therefrom, rinsing said bags with a rinsing liquid and,

disinfecting said 'bags and then removing said bags from said treatment chamber.

2. A method according to claim 1 in which puncturing of the bags is effected by clipping said bags.

3. A method according to laim 1 in which puncturing is effected by lowering the bags against knives.

4. A method according to claim 3 in which lowering of the bags against the knives is effected in a manner such that the bags are not punctured until the lid is closed.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,725,962 4/1973 GOuget 4110 JOSEPH SCOVRONEK, Primary Examiner A. TURK, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 4--110; 22281 

